Direct seed in cool soil
Choose the season, then test the seedbed
Carrots do not need a transplant timeline. Their decision turns on a supported date, soil temperature and a bed loose enough for straight roots.
Spring sowing
January 15 – March 20
Middle Georgia chart range; move later in North Georgia and earlier in the extreme south.Fall sowing
August 20 – September 15
Middle Georgia chart range; protect germination from late-summer drying.Regional shifts stay relative
Move the season, but keep the soil test
The current chart supplies Middle Georgia dates. UGA’s statewide calendar explains how the frost pattern shifts them.
North Georgia
Spring usually starts 1–3 weeks later; fall closes about 2 weeks earlier.
Do not ignore soil temperature just because the shifted date has arrived.Middle Georgia
January 15–March 20 and August 20–September 15.
Look for the 55–75°F germination range in the prepared seedbed.South Georgia
Spring may start 2–3 weeks earlier and fall can run about 2 weeks later.
A later fall date still needs moisture and a seedbed within the germination range.Small seed, unforgiving bed
Check temperature, texture and moisture
A date alone cannot rescue carrot seed from compacted clay or a dry surface.
- Soil at sowing depth is within the preferred 55–75°F germination range.
- The bed is loose and loamy, or raised above heavy clay.
- The surface is lightly moist before sowing and can stay evenly moist during germination.
- The date fits the supported spring or fall window for your region.
Direct-sowing setup
Keep tiny seed shallow and stable
Prepare loose soil
Remove clods and use a raised bed when heavy clay would restrict the roots.
Moisten before sowing
A slightly damp surface helps keep the tiny seed from blowing away.
Cover by ¼ inch
Use the depth in UGA’s crop-specific carrot guide and water lightly so the cover is not washed away.
Thin at about 1 inch tall
Leave roughly 2 inches between the remaining plants.
The sources differ on depth
Use the crop-specific ¼-inch instruction
The 2026 planting chart shows ½ inch, while UGA’s dedicated carrot publication says ¼ inch. For this planting task, the crop-specific instruction is the better fit.
Below 55°F
Date open, soil not at the target
Wait for the preferred germination range rather than treating the calendar as an order to sow.55–75°F
Supported germination range
Sow when the date, loose bed and moisture plan also pass.Above 75°F
Fall date may still be too hot
Do not assume late August soil has cooled just because the fall window opened.Heavy clay